


Walk in the Park

by AllyBirds



Series: Hometown Blues [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Long-Distance Relationship, Minor Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Pining Draco Malfoy, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29523609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyBirds/pseuds/AllyBirds
Summary: Draco and Hermione broke up just in October, long-distance was not working out between them. What happens when Hermione is back in town and Draco randomly finds her in a park? Slightly jealous Draco and a Hermione that can't even see him.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass/Theodore Nott, Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: Hometown Blues [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2168982
Comments: 20
Kudos: 39





	Walk in the Park

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thanks for reading :)  
> Just a tiny clarification, I'm German and based most of the park/bar on the way I know from my hometown. So please if there are any questions about that please ask, but I feel like a lot could be up for imagination and that's my favorite thing to do while reading.  
> Also everyone is roughly between 20 and 21 :)

He had thought it was the best for both of them. They had been dating since school ended and everyone knows that high school romances don’t last, especially not if they are the first big relationship for both parties involved. Hermione had been his first. His first kiss, his first hand-job by someone that wasn’t himself, his first blowjob and his first-time sex. She had been the first to notice him as more than just a friend. While they did start out as friends, she had quickly become the best friend he shared everything with, eventually ending up in his very first relationship.

It was great, she was smart, pretty and very sweet-natured, making him a somewhat better person. She helped him with his final exams, helped him redecorate his room, even made him a jar full of those tiny notes of why she loved him. They were perfect for each other and everyone around them agreed. Double dates with Ginny and Blaise started to become a thing. She even helped him remember his friend’s birthdays and she scratched him lightly on his back until he fell asleep in her arms being the little spoon.

Hermione had once told him that he was a tough guy with a soft core. He had genuinely laughed at that, but deep down he knew that she was right. She always was.

When she got declined from their hometown university she had cried for hours. Not even the Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream he had bought helped her. He had hugged her until she fell asleep in his arms. Carrying her to his bed and watching the way her face frowned when he wanted to get up again. They hadn’t talked about this possibility, both believing that she would get accepted to the midwife studies programme in their hometown, especially since his parents knew the coordinator of the programme.

The next morning, she had started looking at apartments online from the other universities that had accepted her, the closest city being a three-hour drive away. They didn’t talk about breaking up, but they both knew it would happen eventually because of the distance.

Three weeks later he was too hungover to help with her move and she ignored him for a week straight. She came back home and surprised him with tickets to see his favourite rapper in her uni-town. They made up and never once mentioned breaking up.

Hermione visited every two weeks. She would work at the bar in the Park Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings and then would drive three hours back to her apartment. This went on for almost three years of their relationship before Draco started to doubt things. He had started studying under his father, to take over the company, once he was trained enough to do so. His schedule gave him limited options of driving anywhere, especially not three hours to Hermione.

And then Theo brought in Astoria. Theo started dating Astoria’s sister Daphne in mid-July. He had told Hermione all about it on the phone. She was so excited for Theo. Even thinking of sending him a greetings card, but Draco had told her to definitely not do that. Daphne shared an apartment with her younger sister Astoria. The apartment was directly above Draco’s favourite bar, making it the new hotspot for hangouts.

Tori was pretty, she was cute, almost adorable with the way she stumbled over her words whenever Draco would talk to her. Nobody ever said anything but Theo and Blaise both knew that there was something going on, even if Draco himself didn’t notice. But then Draco started to doubt things. Hermione had been gone for almost two months straight because of her studies, three hours away, not like Tori. Tori was right here, and she would stay here, studying some form of business management at their hometown university.

Draco can’t remember when he started to feel things for Tori, but Hermione was almost completely of his mind when he had called her to talk about a break-up. She had immediately started crying and asked what she had done wrong. Draco couldn’t find answers, holding back tears himself. A week later she came to pick up her things, she saw a sweater Tori had left hanging over the couch she had bought pillows for. She had started screaming at him, calling him names and saying she was disappointed that he was just an ‘egoistic, narcissistic bastard that banged another bitch while she cried herself to sleep at night over how much she missed him’.

He knew she didn’t mean it that way, but she was also right. She was always right.

It took him two months before he realised his mistake. He had tried to wish Hermione ‘ **Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – Draco xx** ’ but the message never went through. He was blocked. Blaise told him, that Ginny had said that she was doing this for herself, to not get the idea of sending a message and also the hurt if she wouldn’t receive an answer. Draco understood that feeling too well.

His and Astoria’s relationship spiralled during the Christmas season. He had pretended that everything was perfect. Tori and he had this great understanding, she was perfect for him. His friends had agreed. Obviously, Theo wasn’t going to say anything bad about Tori while banging her sister, while Blaise was his best friend. He wouldn’t dare to say anything bad.

But for Christmas, she had gotten him his favourite perfume, while he had gotten her a handbag she had wanted for years. He had even asked Daphne about it. But somehow, he had missed the stupid funny Christmas card Hermione would make for him with terrible puns. And the way she would try to get him to watch ‘Love Actually’ for the third time during the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

He broke it off with Astoria a week before Valentin’s Day. Only Blaise knew, but he wasn’t allowed to tell Ginny. Theo eventually found out when Daphne got mad at him for being friends with Draco. They broke up in March. Essentially everything started to be okay again. Draco put all his energy in his work and his workouts, but also occasionally Tori when she would have him.

The first time he saw her again was in May. His friends had invited him to the park for a few beers and some relaxing downtime. And there she was, working her usual shift at park bar selling drinks. She was wearing this preposterous lime green polo shirt with the bar’s name printed in red on the back, paired with a red apron to prevent her trousers from getting dirty. He couldn’t see the trousers, but he was certain that she was wearing her favourite high waisted black skinnies that made her arse look fantastic.

She didn’t notice him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was flirting with the male and even a few female customers and smiled wide when she received a tip. But she wasn’t only flirting with the customers. One of her co-workers he’d never seen before was joking with her, getting her to laugh loudly and he was touching her softly on her lower back when he had to move past her. She didn’t react to the touch at all, which made it only worse for Draco’s imagination of where else that guy may have touched her for her to be so unfazed.

“Hey, my guy, did you listen to a word I just said?”, Draco was ripped out of his thoughts when Theo nogged him in the side.

“Sorry, just in my thoughts. What did you say?”

“I just asked if you wanted to go to the bars now or later? Some of the guys want to leave now, but it’s still nice out, so I thought about staying a little longer.”

Draco’s eyes shot towards Hermione for just one second and he hoped it would go unnoticed by Theo when he replied: “Yeah the weather is nice, I’d like to stay actually.”

Theo smiled at him. “Thanks. And I hope this is because you like my company and not because you want to stalk your ex-girlfriend who looks hot in those jeans by the way.”

Draco glared at Theo. “Nothing to do with her. It’s just weird seeing her here.”

“In the town, she grew up in? Working the job, she has worked for almost every weekend since she was 16? Yeah, super weird.”

“Just shut up.” Draco tore his eyes off her and walked over to the backpack Theo had filled with beer and picked another one out of it. He sat down next to Blaise who had also stayed behind, purposely with his back towards Hermione and her flirting co-worker.

He waited for Theo to take a seat on the grass as well but after a few minutes and no movement from Theo towards the guys, Draco and Blaise turned around to look for him. Theo was standing at Hermione’s bar having a chat with her. They went to school together since primary school, so it wasn’t something Draco had never seen. The way they had interacted was always very friendly but still, something in his stomach twisted, seeing them both still be familiar with each other.

Hermione was all smiles and giggles from whatever Theo was talking about. She had stepped around the bar to get closer to Theo. But not once did she look in Draco’s direction. Not that Draco wanted her attention, but something in him hoped that she would be just as shocked to see him.

“Is that Hermione? Girl got fit.”, Blaise had followed Draco’s glance. Draco didn’t know how to answer or if he even wanted to answer. He was certain that Blaise had seen Hermione before today, considering his girlfriend being one of Hermione’s closest friends. It was true though. Hermione had gotten fitter. Her body seemed more toned, and her face had more structure.

“I mean Ginny said that she was looking more into workouts and a healthy diet, just didn’t think you’d be able to see such a difference.” Blaise tried again to start a conversation, but Draco couldn’t look away from Hermione.

“You know you could also just walk over and talk to her. I know that might be weird, but Ginny said she isn’t mad anymore. She is over it apparently and she also moved back here. This isn’t going to be the only time you’ll run into each other. Better get it over with.”

“Moved back here?”

“Yeah, she was able to manage a university programme change because she is one of the best, the hospital here really liked her, and she is now living back within reach full time. I told you I helped with carrying her stuff up those stupidly steep steps at her new apartment, did I not?” Draco glared at Blaise.

“No, you didn’t. Nobody told me anything.”

“Well, I don’t want to be devil’s advocate here, but you broke up with her, you don’t really have any right to know what she’s doing or where she is.” Blaise had that typical sneery look on his face.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just shocked to see her here, but no, I don’t want to talk to her. Not now. Maybe the next time.”

Draco now watched as Theo and Hermione hugged. He could see her fully for the first time. She had taken off that ugly red apron and just as he had suspected she was wearing the black skinnies. And yes, her arse did look great, even better than he had remembered. This was probably because of the workouts Blaise had mentioned.

He watched as she smiled up at Theo and then looked behind him with an even brighter smile. Her co-worker that Draco already despised without even knowing the guy had two ice cream cones from a nearby ice cream truck in his hands. If there was one thing Hermione loved more than anything it was ice cream. Stupid ice cream that Draco still had in his freezer, just for her. She gave the co-worker a little hug and waved at Theo as he turned to walk back to where Blaise and Draco were sitting.

Hermione was licking her ice cream now back behind the bar again after she had re-tied that ugly apron. Something in Draco hoped the co-worker had gotten her Cookie Dough ice cream or anything similar to frozen yoghurt since this was her favourite.

She laughed loud at something the co-worker had said. Her laugh seemed so genuinely happy that now something in Draco tore. He used to make her laugh like that. He knew he shouldn’t think like this. He broke up with her, he had made that decision. Nothing has changed just because she had moved back home and there was no three-hour driving distance between the two of them. There was still the Tori-thing and Hermione apparently being over it if he believed Blaise and Ginny.

Theo plopped down in front of him.

“No new boyfriend. Max as I was told is just a good co-worker-friend that is actually more interested in sucking your _cock_ rather than ravishing your ex-girlfriend.” Blaise chuckled, while Draco just glared at Theo.

“Oh don’t look at me like that. I knew you’d want to know. Also, I didn’t tell that you are here, but she might have looked when I walked back.” Draco wasn’t going to give his friends another moment of weakness they could make fun of and stayed put, not turning around to look for her again.

“She seems really good. Very happy about the change in universities and cities. Told me about the dog she bought. You could also go over there and find out all of these things from her. Her shift ends in 10 minutes.”

“The dog is named Ernie, little corgi puppy, really cute. Ginny showed me pictures.” Blaise now tried to bribe him with more tiny details. They’ve done this so often now that Draco could tell immediately.

“Nah. Not today. I feel just like watching today actually. Maybe the next time.”

Theo and Blaise just sighed and all three now actually turned towards Hermione, who was now closing down the bar. She had changed out of the polo shirt and was wearing a white blouse top and her blush pink jean jacket around her waist. The three boys just watched in silence, but Draco could tell that Theo and Blaise were making faces towards each other.

“She unblocked your number,” Theo said very quietly, almost whispering.

Draco felt as if all the air was sucked out of his lungs. Blaise snickered at Draco’s shocked face. Theo looked at him with the same pity he always had whenever they talked a little about Hermione. Draco remained quiet and just looked strictly ahead, watching as Hermione smiled while talking on the phone. She put on that ridiculous helmet of hers as she walked towards her bike. He watched as she unlocked it and then waved at that co-worker of hers.

And then she met his eyes. She looked right over where he was sitting, almost as if she was looking through him. He considered looking away, but it didn’t matter anymore. She smiled slightly and nodded her head, then she turned and walked away. Draco was frozen, he couldn’t hear anything. It felt as if the entire world just stopped. She had nodded and smiled, she had unblocked his number, she was here again, and he was the biggest idiot in the world for ever letting her go.

“So, guess it’s time for the bar. Come on boys, I wanna get sloshed tonight.” Theo sprung up and started packing up his things.

Blaise stood up as well, getting together their finished beer bottles to throw away. Draco stayed seated, not knowing what to do with himself. After a few deep breathes, he stood up, packed his things and fished his phone out of his pocket.

“You guys can start walking; I’ll follow in a second. Have to make a phone call.” Draco walked away from the guys who looked surprised but didn’t make any moves to leave.

“You don’t need to wait. Please go!” Theo then started the slow journey, turning around once more he heard Draco say: “Hey Tori, you have anything to do tonight? Can I come over?”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you would like more :) I have a few more ideas for these two and will probably try to write them down soon. I don't want to leave anyone hanging with ending. A 'chapter 2' or more like 'second meet' is already in the works and I have an idea for the third
> 
> Thank you so much  
> -Ally (:


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